Trending Now

You are here

New W’field councilors sworn in

WAYNESFIELD — Two new councilors will be representing residents in the village of Waynes-field after they officially take office in January.
Waynesfield Mayor Mike Ridenour swore in two new councilors during Tuesday’s Waynesfield Village Council meeting.
Bill Motter and Richard Libby took the oath of office during the meeting and will begin their terms Sunday. The two were the top vote-getters of a highly contested election that saw seven people run for two open spots. Councilor Chris Wilson chose not to run again and Ronda Knox finished third in the race.
One divergent opinion of Motter and Libby is one favors returning to a board of public affairs for the village, while the other favors keeping the village administrator.
Libby campaigned that the village was in better working order since they disbanded the Board of Public Affairs and he has been a strong proponent of the hiring of Fred Rowe as administrator.
Motter has stated that the position is too costly for the village’s size and wants to go back to a board of public affairs. Councilors anticipate that to be a hot topic after the new terms start in January.
After a short executive session, councilors unanimously voted to not reimburse a resident for legal fees she claims she cannot pay.
Teresa Sitcler, the grandmother and custodian of a 16-year-old youth in Waynesfield, told councilors that she felt village Police Chief Nathan Motter had been harassing her son, which ultimately led to $2,500 in attorney fees that she is unable to pay. She made the claims at the Nov. 28 council meeting.
The incident revolved around an investigation by the Auglaize County Sheriff’s Office when they responded to a report of a break-in and theft of an automobile. A police dog was called in to track the potential perpetrator and Motter was called to the scene to assist.
The dog led officers to Sitcler’s home. Based on information provided by potential witnesses Sitcler’s grandson was later charged with the crime. Charges were dropped Nov. 10 due to lack of evidence to convict.
The K-9 unit led the investigation right to Sitcler’s front door, but Sitcler said both her grandchildren that she has custody of were out of state at another relative’s at the time. She said Motter has harassed her grandson on other occasions.
Councilors decided not to reimburse Sitcler based on a review by Village Solicitor Bob Fitzgerald,
Sitcler could not be reached for comment due to the time the meeting ended.
Rowe said fiber optic lines are coming into the village in mid-January.
The main benefits of fiber are its low loss which improves service on long-distance calls. Its absence of ground currents and other issues common to electric conductor runs make it more efficient, and it has higher data-carrying capacity.
“It will be a definite plus for the village,” Rowe said.